Dhaka University pro vice-chancellor Harun-or-Rashid and treasurer Mijanur Rahman on Tuesday resigned their respective posts following differences with the vice-chancellor over various issues.
Both the pro-Awami League teachers tendered their resignations to education minister Nurul Islam Nahid in the afternoon.
Arefin Siddique told New Age that he heard the news of resignations. ‘I do not know anything officially,’ he added.
‘We have tendered our resignations to the education minister,’ said Harun-or-Rashid, a political science professor.
When contacted over phone, he told New Age, ‘We expected the [university] authorities would be able to restore a congenial academic atmosphere and bring about dynamism in the university administration, but our hopes are dashed.’
‘Growing differences and conflicts in the Dhaka University administration made it impossible for us to work properly forcing us to resign,’ Mijanur Rahman, a marketing department
professor, told New Age, after tendering resignation.
Mijanur said there was hardly any coordination in the present DU administration. ‘There is no teamwork…’
Harun-or-Rashid said, ‘The university authorities have failed to infuse dynamism into the administrative activities and meet the needs of the teachers and students properly.’
‘We urged the authorities repeatedly to address the issues, but our appeal fell on deaf ears,’ Harun said.
‘I have no right to hold a key post when all my efforts to improve the situation have gone in vain,’ he said.
Harun-or-Rashid took the charge of DU pro vice-chancellor and Mijanur Rahman as treasurer on January 24, 2009.
A Blue panel senior teacher told New Age that Harun and Mijanur had been at loggerheads with vice-chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique over appointment of new teachers and staff and over several administrative decisions, Blue panel lost the Dhaka University syndicate election to the BNP-backed White panel.    
The VC and Pro VC blamed each other for the debacle.
Arefin hung up the phone when he was asked for comments over Harun and Mijanur’s allegations.